JURIST Supported by the University of Pittsburgh

 Health Care Reform

Comprehensive health care reform was passed by Congress in March 2010 after over a year of congressional debate. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was aimed at both reforming the private health insurance market and ensuring greater access to health insurance coverage. However, since the bill was signed into law it has been the subject of numerous federal lawsuits challenging its constitutionality. Most of these lawsuits have revolved around the law's individual mandate provisions—which requires that all non-exempt US citizens obtain minimum health insurance coverage. The bill has also been challenged by the actions of many state legislatures, which have sought to block the law from being implemented in their states. The litigation, taking place in numerous lawsuits in federal courts nationwide, have resulted in contradictory rulings from district and appellate courts, and will likely be addressed by the US Supreme Court in the future.... [more]

  TIMELINE

6/28/12: Supreme Court upheld ACA

6/15/12: Senators asked Supreme Court to televise health care decision

6/15/12: News groups asked Supreme Court to broadcast announcement of health care decision

5/29/12: Washington judge ruled for state AG in health care suit

5/21/12: Catholic dioceses sued US government over employer insurance contraception requirements

3/29/12: Supreme Court heard final day of health care arguments

3/28/12: Supreme Court heard arguments on health care individual mandate

3/27/12: Supreme Court heard first day of arguments on health care act challenge

2/3/12: Federal government requested additional time for oral argument in health care reform case

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  ACADEMIC COMMENTARY
Forum: Fringe Legal Positions and the Supreme Court's ACA Decision
Forum: After the Health Care Ruling: Medicaid, But Not Medicaid
Forum: Exit Rights: Roberts' Conception of America in the ACA Decision
  LEGAL PROFESSIONAL COMMENTARY
Hotline: Contraceptives and the ACA: Going Over the Mandate Cliff
Hotline: Supreme Court Exceeded Authority Rewriting the ACA
Hotline: Values of Federalism at Stake in Health Care Litigation
  STUDENT COMMENTARY
Dateline: Sebelius and the Spending Power
Dateline: A Peer-to-Peer Network: Bridging the Health Care Gap
Dateline: Tobacco and Contraceptives: Legislative Preemption